How Google is affecting newspapers

A phenomenon that is becoming impossible to live without, Google has facilitated the rapid expansion of the Internet in ways no other digital entity could ever dream. It may even be safe to say that practically no one goes online without consulting the simply designed page, giggling at whatever witty costume the famous logo might be wearing depending on the day. With features such as AdWords and GoogleNews, its Internet penetration, already profound, looks only to be growing deeper. So what does Google's Internet universality mean for your newspaper?

Advertising: With news this week that Google's AdSense plans to incorporate graphics and animated features, their share of the online advertising market, already at the point of overtaking all traditional media ad revenues, is sure to increase. Another highlight of Google's ads is that they shun traditional packaged one-price ad models by charging per click and/or impression. Poynter predicts that although publishers (most of which have adopted Google's simple ad plan), may not want to include such ads on their sites, the fear of losing revenue will ultimately convince them that such ads are necessary. Invoking the Trojan Horse comparison, Poynter wonders what Google's next move is, seeing as "Publishers have let AdSense inside the gates."

Readership: Although GoogleNews still lags behind competing news sources and aggregators, its links to newspapers' online articles is good publicity for papers. Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine media pundit points out that "Without GoogleNews, (all media) would get less traffic." Others have gone so far to say that refusing GoogleNews to post your articles is suicide.

Search: What about your journalists? According to an article on U-DailyBulletin, it's safe to say that much of their research is fueled by Google. "It's difficult to imagine how journalists, students, or anyone functioned pre-search enginges." The amount of "googlers" worldwide may eventually replace the verb "to search" in every language with the verb "to Google."

Your business: Watch out! An article in the Los Angeles Times predicts that soon Google will be interested in buying your newspaper "in order to differentiate itself by offering high-quality, proprietary news." Somewhat humorously, the Times notes that the market value of Dow Jones is a steal at under USd 3 billion, a number by which "Google's value often fluctuates... in one day of trading." But that's just humor. Isn't it?

Sources: Poynter, BuzzMachine, U-Daily Bulletin, Los Angeles Times